But somehow the spirit lord was close.
Shh. The whispered sound slid through her mind as real as if he had spoken into her ear.
Kerilyn pressed a palm to her forehead, more thoroughly shaken by the unfamiliar feeling than she liked to admit. “What are you doing?” she demanded, tightening her grip on the dagger.
Fighting dirty.
Fear filled her and she did her best to battle it. She scanned the room, looking for any clues he was actually here and not a phantom in her mind. Nothing seemed amiss.
The scent of spice grew stronger and she readied for an attack.
Sleep, the whispered voice commanded.
“Like hell I will,” she snapped. But no sooner had the words left her mouth before her eyes felt heavy.
“No,” she moaned, sinking to her knees. Kerilyn dug her nails into her palms hard enough to break the skin. The sharp pain pushed back the exhaustion for one brief moment.
Magic, she realized in the small moment of clarity. Arawn was using magic against her, a tactic he had never needed before.
On hands and knees she tried to crawl to the sofa and the old grimoire resting on the cushions. It was a magical text passed down throughout her family’s generations. Surely there would be a counter spell in it. There had to be some way to protect her mind. If he could make her sleep, could he make her do something even worse?
Like open the gate?
Blackness edged her vision as she reached for the text. Her arm felt heavy. Every part of her body yearned to curl up and give in to the desire to sleep.
Rest your eyes. The suggestion slithered through her head. Only for a moment.
Her fingertips brushed against the old leather binding of the book before the swirl of spice grew so thick it blocked out all else. With a last desperate breath, she collapsed onto the floor.
* * *
Blackness greeted her when she opened her eyes.
“Bastard,” she shouted, hands balled into fists. “This is cheating.”
A chuckle filled the darkness, warm and triumphant. “Tonight is not a night for pulling my punches.”
She twisted in the gloom, trying to see anything. Panic clawed at her but she did her best to push it back. The frightening lord could never know how he spooked her.
“I protected my home,” she declared. “There’s no way you got in.”
“True.” His voice echoed around her. It was impossible to pinpoint his location. “However, this time we are not meeting on your terms but mine.”
“What do you mean?”
A hot breath burned the sensitive skin of her ear. Whirling, Kerilyn struck out but her fist met only air. His infuriating chuckle drifted around her.
“On All Hallow’s Eve the veil between worlds is thin.”
“I know that,” she said.
“It is the time when it is easiest to make contact with your world. Especially in your subconscious.”
She stiffened.
“You might have protected your house, my Keri, but you didn’t protect your dreams.”
Strong arms wrapped around her from behind, pulling her up against a firm chest.
“No,” she gasped, trying to fight him off.
His lips pressed against the bare skin of her nape, freezing her in place. “You won’t trust me,” he whispered against her skin. “And I can’t convince you with barriers between us. What harm is there, Keri, in a dream?”
“If you had this power, why didn’t you use it before?” she demanded, trying to ignore the hands sliding over her hips.
“I’m sure one of your family members would have noticed you unconscious on the living room floor and woken you. Besides, I thought it unfair. I wanted you to welcome me on your own terms. As the years drift by, however, I am less and less inclined to be noble.” Lips ran up her throat, pausing at the sensitive skin behind her ear. “It’s only a dream,” he whispered heatedly. “Can’t you give me that much?”
“Nothing is simple with you,” she tried. “Everything means more than you let on.”
“You’re wrong.” His teeth caught her earlobe gently. “This is just a man who desperately wants the woman in his arms. Nothing is simpler.”
Her resolve shook at his words. How she longed for simple with this man. To have him in her arms, in her bed, and truly believe there were no ulterior motives.
“We aren’t that uncomplicated,” she replied. “We never have been.”
He stilled behind her. “Can’t you yield even an inch, Keri?”
Yielding in a dream would make it so much harder to resist him in reality. Was he banking on the fact, strategizing for later? Twisting, she turned in his arms to look up into the darkness that cloaked him.
“I want to see you,” she whispered.
Immediately the blackness receded. A soft glow, almost like candlelight, illuminated them.
Arawn stood in her arms, looking less formal than he ever had in reality. Gone were the elegant braids in his hair and the regal robes. Instead his dark hair hung straight and unadorned around his face. His body was clothed simple in black jeans and a black T-shirt. He looked alien and familiar all at once.
“Why do you look like that?” she asked, taken aback by the shift.
A small smile curved his lips. “Because I’d like you to stop looking at me like the lord of your nightmares and start looking at me like a man.”
A man. Just a lover in her arms. Hesitantly she raised a hand. When he made no protest, she ran her fingers along his strong jaw. Never before had she been able to touch him. Even if this was only a dream, the newfound luxury brought a smile to her face.
He drew in a sharp breath.
“What?” she demanded, freezing.
“You’ve never smiled like you are now. Not with me.”
She dared a glance up at him, feeling exposed.
“Do it again,” he whispered, lowering his head. His lips brushed against her cheek.
Kerilyn closed her eyes, giving herself up to his careful ministrations. His lips feathered across her brow, rained gossamer touches along her nose. He stilled when he reached her lips.
The heat from his skin scorched her as she waited for him to close the last tantalizing distance. Yet still he held back.
A growl of frustration escaped him, one she fully understood. They were painfully close.
Kerilyn braced herself, wondering what she was willing to risk for this man. She was gambling with her life and her heart. Despite his words, a dream wouldn’t be all this was. Not to her.
Her parents had always said she was strong, but right now she couldn’t summon up her usual will to resist. With her hands on him for the first time, she wanted more. She wanted everything, even if it was only once.
Even if it was only a masterfully crafted illusion created by an enemy with ulterior motives.
“Kiss me, Arawn,” she ordered. Let the chips fall as they may. This once, she wanted something tangible to dream of at night.
His lips crushed down on hers, kissing her with a passion nothing like his previous teasing touches. His mouth claimed her with searing desire. Surely no trick felt this powerful.
Rising to her tiptoes, Kerilyn pressed her lips more firmly against his, giving as good as she got. She parted her lips, darting her tongue out to touch his. One hand tangled in his long hair as their mouths locked in breathless need. The dark strands were silkier than she’d expected, gliding through her fingers. She couldn’t help wonder what it would feel like to play with the braids decorating it in the real world.
Never had she felt such consuming lust. Not with any of her previous boyfriends. Not even the ones she’d thought she loved, before they’d run in the opposite direction the moment they learned the truth about her. The only way to have a lasting relationship in her life was to lie about who she was. And a relationship built on half truths and evasions crumbled around her every single time. But Arawn didn’t want her lies. He knew her better than any other man ever had and h
e wanted her anyway. This was not a man she could scare away.
“Did you ever dream of me, Kerilyn?” he demanded between kisses. “Did you ever see my face in your secret fantasies?”
“Only your face,” she whispered before she realized what she’d revealed.
He pulled back far enough to show her a stunning smile. It wasn’t one of triumph, however, only masculine pride.
Kerilyn didn’t ask the same question of him. Even if he gave a similar answer, she’d never believe it. But it didn’t matter. As he’d said, this was a dream and she knew exactly what to do to this man in fantasy.
“This doesn’t change a thing,” she warned him, her hands running down his chest. “I’m still not opening the gate.”
“We can have that fight later,” he replied. “Right now all I care about is finding out how hot it is inside you.”
His words sent a primitive thrill racing through her. “I won’t leave you with any complaints,” she promised in a husky whisper, pressing her lips to his throat.
“Complaints.” His low chuckle made his chest vibrate beneath her fingertips. “How little you understand.”
She looked up to question him, but before the words emerged he reclaimed her mouth.
Kerilyn was more than willing to let the old fight go and concentrate on the man before her. His body was hard under her hands, as honed and lethal as she’d known it would be. She pulled at the T-shirt, wanting the maddening material gone.
As soon as she thought it, the T-shirt vanished.
“Dream,” Arawn reminded her. “Wish and you shall receive.”
Her lips twitched in a smile as she put both hands on his chest and pushed.
The feared Lord of the Spirits tumbled backward with a startled expression on his face. But he didn’t fall far.
The large king bed she’d wished for materialized behind him, catching him on black sheets.
“Mm,” she murmured, straddling his hips, “I think I like playing in dreams.”
The hot look was back in his eyes as he looked up at her. “So many possibilities,” he agreed.
Her shirt and jeans disappeared in a flash, replaced by a risqué black silk teddy. Slit from thigh to a precarious-looking bow between her breasts, all that held it in place were tiny black straps and the sheer force of will to defy gravity. It left very little to the imagination and she felt her cheeks heat. She had definitely not ordered this particular change.
“Beautiful,” he breathed.
For a moment she wondered if she could alter her appearance in their dream. Make herself a touch more lithe and seductive. But as soon as the thought entered her mind she let it drift away. For the first time, she didn’t want to hide. This might be the most honest interaction she and Arawn ever had. She wouldn’t ruin it with false images and superficial facades.
As Kerilyn looked down at him, a frown twisted her brow. Was he hiding from her with his attempt to seem more human? While it touched her that he cared enough to try, she didn’t want his lies any more than she’d accept her own.
Reaching out, she ran her fingers through his hair, wishing for the tiny braids he’d been wearing this evening. Immediately they appeared, twisting around her fingers.
Arawn caught her hands and looked up at her with serious eyes.
“No lies,” she explained as she bent to touch her lips to his.
She tasted his surprise and felt his lips curve into a smile.
“As you wish,” he whispered against her mouth.
Power crackled in the air around them, raising the hairs along her arms. She pulled back enough to see Arawn must have reverted to his true nature. His eyes glowed in the dim light, making his beautiful face look anything but human. Magic pulsed around them, and she tried not to think of how outmatched she’d be if he ever turned his powers against her.
As he watched her with those alien eyes, Kerilyn stroked her fingers along his cheek and wished she didn’t find his transformation so sexy. She’d never been a fan of weak lovers, choosing instead men who would challenge her. Arawn definitely fit the bill.
“You’re amazing,” she said, meeting his gaze squarely.
Her acceptance caused his eyes to widen. But he wasn’t a man to be shocked for long. Grabbing her hips, he rolled her backward onto the bed.
Kerilyn caught her breath as he rose over her, looking like every fantasy she’d ever had come to life.
“I’ve waited so bloody long,” he murmured, pressing his mouth to the skin above her heart.
Me too, she longed to agree. There was no turning back now.
He eased the flimsy straps of the teddy down her arms and she knew the second her breasts were exposed to his hungry gaze.
He looked at her like a starving man. Confidence rushed through Kerilyn, banishing any lingering embarrassment. The way he looked at her warmed her in ways his touch had not. When he gazed at her with a mix of wonder and lust in his eyes, she felt beautiful.
When he bent his head and captured a taut nipple in his mouth, however, coherent thought vanished from her mind.
Her fingers clutched at his back, pulling him closer as his tongue lapped over her sensitive flesh.
“Arawn,” she gasped, amazed the husky voice had emerged from her.
His large hands ran down her body to trace over the soft skin he exposed.
She bent her knees, cradling him more firmly between her legs, wanting him closer. His mouth never left her breast as his fingers played further and further down her abdomen. She bit her lip when those questing fingers glided along the edge of the skimpy panties this ensemble provided.
Finally he raised his head.
She inhaled sharply as she realized the glow in his eyes had increased. Because of his lust? she wondered. Was he closer to losing control? The thought caused a wave of delicious pleasure to sweep through her. She wanted to be able to make such an unflappable man wild. The reminder of his difference from her didn’t detract from her pleasure. This place came with safety ropes. She could enjoy whatever he had to offer without worry.
“May I?” he asked in his old-fashioned way.
The politeness of the request when they were practically naked amused her. “Why are you asking now?”
He pushed himself up enough to kiss her tenderly. The gentleness of the touch froze her in place. It felt different than their frenzied, desperate need.
“Your choice, Keri. Always,” he whispered to her. “I will not do anything you do not wish.”
“Do I look like a woman pushing you away?”
His eyes darkened. “Not yet.”
She glanced away, not liking the reminder of what lay in their future. Her hands ran over his shoulders and down his arms, feeling the coiled strength there. “I’m here now, wanting anything you have to give. Isn’t that enough?”
He watched her for a long moment before growling, “Yes.”
The panties disappeared and he wasted no time pushing her thighs apart.
Kerilyn bit her lip, feeling heat rush to her cheeks, not to mention other parts of her body. The fire in his eyes as he examined what he’d uncovered scorched her. There was no embarrassment as she lay spread before him. He made sure she knew she didn’t disappoint. Lifting her arms, she reached for him.
Arawn slid up her body, wrapping strong arms around her. He rolled his hips, pressing against her through the roughness of his jeans.
Trailing a hand down his back, she traced the waist of his jeans for a moment before a smile curved her lips. In a second, her wish was granted and the material dissolved under her hand.
Naked, Arawn lifted himself on his elbows and gazed down at her.
“Two can play this game,” he whispered.
She didn’t mourn the disappearance of her scanty teddy as it faded from view. She was ready to touch him skin to skin.
Naked in the arms of a Netherworld lord. She shivered but it wasn’t from fear. “I want you,” she breathed, catching his earlobe between her teeth.
>
His hands glided over her hips, drawing invisible designs on her skin. She gasped as those questing fingers slipped between her thighs.
He drew back enough for her to meet his glowing gaze before he traced one finger along the wet folds of her sex.
Kerilyn bit her lip to stifle a moan of pleasure. His slow and teasing touch sent fire spiraling through her. She arched her hips against his hand, trying to speed him up. When his thumb brushed over her clit she cried out, throwing her head back.
“Perfect,” he purred, pressing his lips to her throat.
Kerilyn stared blindly at the sheets around her as his fingers stroked her. Every touch built the pleasure pulsing within her. She writhed beneath him, needing more than fingers.
“Arawn,” she panted. “More.”
She’d meant for him to shift upward to fit his hard cock against her and thrust home. But instead he moved the opposite way, trailing kisses down her torso.
“No,” she moaned, clutching at his shoulders to pull him back to her.
“Shh.” His whisper slithered through the air, echoing inside her head as it had earlier.
She bit her lip to still the cry of regret when he removed his fingers, but she wasn’t left wanting long. Kerilyn nearly arched off the bed when his mouth closed over the tender nub of her clit. A gasp escaped her as he teased it with his tongue.
“Arawn,” she cried, nearly blinded by pleasure. Not wanting to deny her lover any access he wanted, she allowed her knees to part.
He drew his tongue along the slick folds, torturing her with every careful touch.
Kerilyn had never been much of a fan of men going down on her but with Arawn it was different. Not awkward or embarrassing but a sublime pleasure unlike anything she’d felt before. Was it because of their dream world, she wondered dimly, or was he just that good?
Each stroke of his tongue built her climax. She rocked beneath him, moaning when his tongue thrust into her. She buried her hands in his braided hair to hold him closer.
Seducing the Demon Huntress Page 3
